5 things to know about giving blood [Sponsored content]

By Allison Ballard

Wednesday

Feb 21, 2018 at 2:20 PM

The harsh winter weather may only be a memory now, but the storms had a lingering impact on the country’s supply of donated blood.

“We’ve missed 600 blood drives,” said James Jarvis, executive director of the Cape Fear Area Chapter of the American Red Cross, which serves 13 coastal counties including Craven. “In N.C. alone, we were forced to cancel 121 blood drives.”

Those lost drives mean that the organization is short 17,500 blood and platelet donations that are needed by hospitals, clinics, and cancer treatment centers. “We are just trying to get to where we would have been.” So here and in other areas, they are putting out the call for donations. If you haven’t donated blood before, here is a bit more information.

1. Donated blood has a shelf life of 42 days.

“It’s a perishable product,” Jarvis said. So organizations like the Red Cross are always hosting blood drives and looking for new donors. It can also take at least two days to process the blood that can help those in need, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease. “There is no substitute for donated blood and it cannot be stockpiled,” he said. Someone in in the U.S. needs blood every two seconds.

2. You may be able to provide a special need.

Many people know there are different blood types, and that some of them are in high demand. Type O, for example, is known as the universal donor because the blood can be donated to many people, Jarvis said. “They always like to keep lots of Type O in emergency rooms.” However, there is also a need for rare blood types, and he tells the story of one N.C. donor who helped save the life of a newborn, because they had the same unusual blood type. “I would say that this might be the case for people who haven’t donated,” Jarvis said. “You might be able to help someone who needs that blood urgently.”

3. Many people are eligible donors.

General guidelines are that donors must be at least 16 years old (if they have parental consent) and be in good health. Those with chronic conditions like diabetes can donate if it is being treated and is under control. You can also donate if you’ve gotten the flu shot, as long as you are symptom free and meet other eligibility requirements. In North Carolina and most other states, you may be eligible to give blood immediately after getting a tattoo as long as it was applied by a state-regulated entity using sterile needles and ink that is not reused.

4. Some donors are Power Reds.

This kind of donation, also sometimes called a Double Red, is a way for a donor to give a concentrated dose of red blood cells during a single donation. In this case, red blood cells are separated from other blood components, and the plasma and platelets are returned to the donor. Blood can be safely donated every 56 days and Power Reds can be donated every 112 days.

5. A blood drive is happening near you soon.

In the New Bern area, there are drives scheduled throughout February and March at hospitals, community centers and fire departments. Each donor receives a brief examination during which temperature, pulse, blood pressure and hemoglobin are measured. For more information and to find other drives, go to www.redcrossblood.org.

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